Dazzling Colors, Diversity on Display on Pride Sunday

PHOTO BY DONNA ACETO

PHOTO ESSAY BY DONNA ACETO & MICHAEL LUONGO | On a brilliant early summer Sunday, tens of thousands of New Yorkers turned out to march in the annual LGBTQ Pride Parade — controversy over the new route, contingent size limitations, wristband requirements, and all — with untold numbers watching from the sidewalks.

Governor Andrew Cuomo was on hand, as were his rival Cynthia Nixon (marching with Lea DeLaria), Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife Chirlane McCray, State Senator Brad Hoylman spied kissing husband David Sigal, with their young daughter in tow, and a contingent of city councilmembers led by a dancing Speaker Corey Johnson.

Grand marshal Billie Jean King had a brilliant rainbow umbrella, the Front Runners jogged the route, a large contingent from NYU marched as did the Gay Officers Action League, and EMT professonals Tayreen Bonilla and Trudy Bermudez also shared a smooch. And those paying close attention may have noticed that Emma González, a bisexual anti-gun activist who helped organize student protests this past spring after her Parkland, Florida, school was the target of a mass shooting on Valentine’s Day, also made an appearance at the Parade.